Name means "Fire of hell" or, ya know, Hellfire.

For 's contest to create an "Eqkin." Seriously, the BEST horse I've ever drawn straight onto the computer (nevermind the heavy reference from the YouTube video "Bravura can dance"). xD

Brushes (everything but Ignis and the text) are from Obsidian Dawn [link]
There's some pretty awesome stuff there.

Obviously, he was inspired by the pretty dancing horses (no comments on this here; if you think it's cruel to train horses to prance in place, stop teaching your dog to sit, stay, and come). He's a metallic champagne...umm...I hope the face/leg barring is allowed. Never said anything against them. xD The colors, from left to right, are:
base - stripes - white markings - skin (nose) color - dark mane - light mane - eyes - hooves

I even have the original working pallette saved in the .psd file. :3 Oh, and Joker, ya think he'd make a good wolf (minus the mane/tail and ornaments)? lol

Imma draw him in his armor sometime...soon...probably tomorrow. xD He's been on my mind since last night, when he just jumped out of nowhere *coughgooglesearchescough* and began to prod at my brain.

Sorry about mauling Latin to make Proelia's name feminine. >D

So his story...hahaha...

As an Elf, Ignis was known for his ceremonial preperations before battle. This often included several days of meditation, heavy training, and caretaking of his armor and sword. However, when his city was attacked without warning during the human raids, he simply threw on chain mail, grabbed his sword, and rushed from his home and family to defend his hometown.

However, like almost all of the warriors and even innocents of that time, he was cut down during battle and his soul sent to the heavens. Again, like many of his race, he was reincarnated as a horse by the god Tfo. He was born into the Herd of Fire, Khamso Incendi, and learned everything again. Slowly he regained his memory and dedicated himself to returning to the strong, respected soul that he had been before the genocide.

The journey to his old self was interupted on a fateful scouting trip around the southern borders of the herdlands. There were still pockets of elf-hating humans, and, somehow, a few small sects had found out about the Eqkin and their various herds. One of these had begun raids upon the Khamso Incendi, though as scouts often took several days to thoroughly investigate the borders, this fact was unknown to the main herd of the Incendi.

Ignis Inferorum saw the hunters before he smelled or felt them. From far off, they seemed peaceful, acting more like Eqkin and their Chosen than hunters of Eqkin. However, as he ventured closer and struggled to find the bond that tied the Eqkin and their former selves together, the party saw the shining of his clean coat and the lack of any human or Elven decorum upon his body, and knew that he was Eqkin. Almost quicker than lightning, the men threw themselves upon the horses and began to chase Ignis. At this, the stallion knew himself to be in terrible danger and began to run.

The ensuing chase lasted for nearly an hour, kept at a breakneck pace by fear and whips, crossing from fields into forest, before an arrow shot down through the thick foliage and straight into the chest of one of the human persuers. This arrow was followed by another, followed quickly by Ignis's realization that the growing strain in his mind was a connection to the elf hidden above, stronger than any he had felt before, and that strenth was what had hidden it from his knowledge.

Knowing that he would soon collapse from running, and knowing that the elf in the trees would help him in this fight, Ignis Inferorum wheeled about with the lightness of foot that had often kept him alive and reared. The elf dropped down from the trees, another shaft already on her bow, and fired yet another shot into the now depleted party. Ignis dispatched one of the remaining humans and drove off the four resultingly riderless horses. The elf drew her sword, which was all it took for the last hunter to turn tail and drive his tired horse the other way. Ignis began to follow, but the elf girl, whose name was Proelia Lucis, the Light of Battle, touched his side, and he knew that the chase was pointless. Now, however, he could investigate this strong bond between Eqkin and Elf, the one that so many of his herd had discovered, for he had found his Chosen.

Ignis Inferorum and Proelia Lucis soon developed many habits. One included the War Dance, a dance demanding concentration and control, used to sharpen their senses and their muscles in preperation for battle. Proelia had her brother forge armor for Ignis, and decorated it in darkness and lavender. He allowed her to plait the two small stripes of black within his mane, and she placed several plaits in his tail, giving it an almost whip-like appearance. They have yet to decide upon any sort of permanent tattoos or scars, but the day is fast approaching when one of the two wakes from a dream with a design representing their life and bonding.

...that was pretty long. xD